COA: P6.39B CCT transactions still unliquidated as of 2015

MANILA, Philippines – A Commission on Audit report released on Wednesday, July 13, showed that P6.39 billion in transactions under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) remain unliquidated as of December 2015.

Also known as the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program, the state’s flagship anti-poverty program had a budget of P62.3 billion in 2015.

The Land Bank of the Philippines and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) have a memorandum of agreement (MOA) on the payout of cash assistance to the 4Ps beneficiaries. Under the MOA, Landbank is to submit liquidation documents within 5 days from the last date of the scheduled payout.

“Submission of liquidation documents by Land Bank of the Philippines was delayed, thus, status of P6.391 billion unliquidated balance as of CY 2015 cannot be assessed,” it said in its report.

The total unliquidated amount includes P3.322 billion in transactions from 2008 to 2014.

State auditors also noted “recurrent deficiencies” in the program’s implementation, including the failure to remit back to the DSWD some P1.579 billion in unused 4Ps funding. This amount was not released as the beneficiaries were delisted for non- compliance with the program’s requirements.

The COA also discovered that P1.252 billion in cash grants did not reach the intended households, and an inaccurate information system excluded or suspended some validated compliant beneficiaries and allowed “327 households with duplicate names under different household IDs.”

The COA also pointed out 386,425 beneficiaries’ accounts with a cumulative balance of P139.008 million had no withdrawals since the accounts were set up. This, it said, indicated that the households no longer needed immediate assistance under the 4Ps, despite being enrolled in the program. 

The COA said, however that even with these problems, the program has benefited millions of poor families, allowing them to send their children to school. The program currently has 4.4 million household-beneficiaries.

“On a positive note, the Program has conducted the first graduation event… highlighting the 333,673 beneficiaries who graduated with the help of the program. Out of the total number of graduates, 13,469 graduated with honors,” COA said.

Among the graduates were 1,312 valedictorians and 1,024 salutatorians. – Rappler.com